With Tom Kelly's No. 10 on Saturday, Sept. 8, becoming the eighth jersey in Minnesota Twins history to be retired, a good bet is that the next jersey the club would consider for retirement would be Jim Kaat's No. 36.

It's also a good bet, though, that Kaat's resume will have to improve before the Twins would bestow that honor on him. Election to the Baseball Hall of Fame would seem to ensure that.

Kaat, who picked up 189 of his 283 career victories during 13 seasons with the Twins, was overlooked by the Baseball Writers Association of America during his 15 years of eligibility following a 25-year career.

But last time around Kaat missed induction by two votes with the Veterans Committee, finishing second in voting to Ron Santo, who in December was elected to the Hall of Fame. Kaat's next chance for election by the Veterans Committee is in 2014.

Kaat is, however, eligible this year for the Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence and would seem a serious contender. Forty finalists through fan voting will be determined by Friday, Sept. 7, and announced on Monday, Sept. 10.